T-Minus: Space-Cyber Briefing

The European Space Agency and the UK Space Agency plan to grow the workforce to 200 people at the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) by 2030. British paralympian John Mcfall has been cleared to go into space after a two-year feasibility study. Space-based energy generation company Star Catcher has closed its $12.25M seed round, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-...

SpaceX and the United Launch Alliance have secured $1.76 billion in contract modifications from the US Space Force to provide launch services under the second phase of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program. NASA has selected SpaceX to provide launch services for NOAA's Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) 4 mission. Axiom Space selects British astronaut Tim Peake to join their team as a...

The UK Space Agency has announced a £33 million boost for national space programs. The European Space Agency’s Space Debris Office has published its annual Space Environment Report. The French space agency CNES and Bpifrance have selected a Thales Alenia Space-led consortium, along with Magellium Artal Group, to demonstrate an in-orbit capture and inspection service, and more. Remember to leave us...

Our guest today is Amanda Lee Falkenberg, composer of THE MOONS SYMPHONY. The symphony presents an unparalleled fusion of visuals and music, celebrating the convergence of music and science to vividly portray past, present, and future lunar explorations. The music Incorporates the perspectives of astronauts into a musical voyage through our galaxy.  THE MOONS SYMPHONY, coupled with its planetary m...

The National Security Space Association's independent think tank, The Moorman Center for Space Studies, has released a report called "America's Asymmetric Vulnerability to Navigation Warfare: Leadership and Strategic Direction Needed to Mitigate Significant Threats."  Intuitive Machines has finalized the IM-2 mission landing region ahead of its sold-out second mission.  Rocket Lab’s next Electron...

NASA has announced its intent to discontinue development of its VIPER project. Firefly Aerospace’s Board of Directors have announced that Bill Weber is no longer serving as CEO of the company, effective immediately. Astra Space has announced the successful closing of its take-private transaction, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episod...

SpaceX has announced that the company will be moving its headquarters from California to Texas. The US and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have signed a strategic cooperation agreement on civil space research and exploration. LeoLabs has been selected to support the launch and operations of the UK Space Command's Project Tyche by delivering space tracking and monitoring, and collision avoidance servic...

The European Space Agency (ESA) has started preparatory work for its next planetary defense mission called the Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (Ramses). US Space Systems Command (SSC) has rolled out its new automated Consolidated Operational Data Archive system (CODA). KBR has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire LinQuest Corporation for $737 million, and more. Remember to leave u...

Spanish launcher company PLD Space has signed a €31.2 million euros syndicated loan with Banco Santander, EBN Banco and the Instituto de Crédito Oficial. European aerospace groups Airbus and Thales are reportedly exploring a tie-up of some space activities as new competition disrupts the sector. NASA launched a large stratospheric balloon from Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden to study X-ray...

Agile Space has over a decade of experience testing and qualifying rocket engines and novel combustion devices. They have conducted more than 8,000 hotfire tests on test stands located at their facility in Durango, CO. Agile Space Industries is committed to producing some of the most accurate and reliable test data available in the industry. They test chemical propulsion engines in ambient or simu...

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket suffered a second stage engine failure while in orbit, causing a loss of the vehicle entirely. China’s iSpace suffered another launch failure resulting in the loss of three satellites. Air Marshal Paul Godfrey of the UK Royal Air Force is joining the US Space Staff as Assistant CSO for Future Concepts and Partnerships, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and rev...

Private equity firm AE Industrial partners is closing its third private equity fund, with $1.28 billion in total financing going to five organizations and three add-on investments across the national security, aerospace and industrial services industries. Munich based Alpine Space Ventures have closed a $184 million funding round making them the largest first-time VC fund dedicated to space global...

Europe returns to autonomous access to space with the successful launch of the Ariane 6 heavy-lift rocket. NATO  says it is helping finance a project to use space as an alternative to subsea cables shuttling civilian and military communications across European waters. NASA and Boeing cannot confirm when Starliner will return to Earth, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in yo...

The long-awaited Ariane 6 is scheduled to make its inaugural launch from Kourou, French Guiana. Gravitics has signed a $125 million contract to expand Axiom Space’s planned space station. Japan’s Space Agency is soliciting proposals as part of a new Space Strategic Fund established by the Japanese government which will offer one trillion yen ($6.2 billion) to Japanese companies to help expand the...

The first CHAPEA mission is complete. ESA says the Ariane 6 is go for launch. Polaris Dawn sets a date. And more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our weekly intelligence roundup, Signals and Space, and you’ll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. T-Minus Guests Today’s guests join us to...

Pam Underwood, Director of Spaceports at the Federal Aviation Administration, joins us on T-Minus Deep Space for a special edition all about the global spaceport industry and the FAA’s role to enable safe and sustainable space launch operations. You can follow Pam on LinkedIn. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our weekly inte...

Maria Varmazis, N2K host of T-Minus Space Daily, talks with WiCyS Executive Director Lynn Dohm and N2K's Simone Petrella, Dr. Heather Monthie, and Jeff Welgan about the 2024 Cyber Talent Study. N2K and WiCyS have come together under a common mission to attract, retain, and advance more women in cybersecurity. Together, we strive to support women throughout their career journey, and secure the futu...

Welcome to the T-Minus Overview Radio Show. In this program we’ll feature some of the conversations from our daily podcast with the people who are forging the path in the new space era, from industry leaders, technology experts and pioneers, to educators, policy makers, research organizations, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode?...

Firefly’s standing down Alpha 5. ESA taps TESAT for a 6G lab in orbit. CHAPEA’s first mission set to complete. A bunch of NASA updates came over the wire late yesterday. And more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our weekly intelligence roundup, Signals and Space, and you’ll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow T-Minus o...

The fate of the International Space Station once its mission is up seems pretty set in stone now, what with NASA hiring SpaceX to eventually de-orbit it. If that idea is heartbreaking to you - you are not alone. No matter what though, the ISS is on its last legs and come 2030 there need to be alternative stations if nations and companies still want to access orbiting labs in space. And that's why...

It's not long now until Ariane 6 is expected to launch - July 9th is the date on the schedule. It's Europe's next flagship launch vehicle, and there are high hopes for this rocket to get the next generation of European spacecraft to orbit. That's why it was a big, big punch in the gut when a major customer, who signed up for an Ariane 6 launch four years ago, backed out of the deal. To make matter...

Apollo 14 launched on January 31, 1971. Five days later Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell walked on the Moon while Stuart Roosa, a former US Forest Service smoke jumper, orbited above in the command module. Packed in small containers in Roosa's personal kit were hundreds of tree seeds, part of a joint NASA/USFS project. Upon return to Earth, the seeds were germinated by the Forest Service. Known as...

SpaceX's tender offer values the company at a record  $210 billion. A defunct Russian satellite forced ISS astronauts to shelter and added to the growing space junk problem. Thales Alenia Space announced that their ASCEND study shows promising results for space-based data centers and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for ou...

NASA selects SpaceX to build a vehicle to deorbit the International Space Station (ISS). MDA Space has been awarded $1 billion from the Canadian Space Agency for the next phases of the Canadarm3 program. Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser left off the manifest on the next ULA Vulcan launch in September, and more.  Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episo...

A joint research group in China studying Chang'e-5 lunar samples report that they've found flakes of naturally occuring few-layer graphene. Blue Origin calls for the FAA to cap the rate of SpaceX’s Starship and  Super Heavy launches to limit environmental impact in Florida. Collins Aerospace reportedly backed out of a spacesuit contract with NASA, and more. Our 2024 N2K CyberWire Audience Survey i...